'8 o'clock?'
'The usual, honey. And we're getting the usual table.' Sandy smiled at his wife as she inserted a glittering emerald earring into her left ear. She turned to face him:
'Ok. It'll be good, we haven't been there for ages.' She moved closer and added:
'I haven't seen you for ages.' Sandy kissed her forehead and watched her as she went out of the room. Twenty minutes later she had arrived at her office and five minutes after that engaged in her first argument of the day with her father.
Later that day
'Hey, mom, so is it ok if Summer comes round tonight?' Kirsten eyed her son inquiringly and asked: 'As in….?' Seth rolled his eyes impatiently.
'Yeah, mom, as if I'd ask for your permission to have Summer to sleep here. I mean…no what I meant was for dinner. Nothing special planned is there? I mean, we're not trying a new takeout menu are we, because that's an experience I know you wouldn't want to share..'
'Yes Seth, that's fine. We're out though, so don't…do anything.'
Seth was about to retaliate but then decided the conversation could only get more embarrassing. Kirsten went upstairs and sat down on the bed, relieving the stress of being in such close proximity of her father for a marathon nine hours. When Sandy came in she had fallen back on the pillow and gone to sleep. There was still 45 minutes before they needed to go, and he thought a power nap would do her good- her face was looking pale and the skin around her eyes was stretched and dark.
He placed her the right way round on the bed and he face fell down into the crook of his elbow and he lay down beside her, breathing the familiar scent of her hair.
'Dad!' yelled Seth from downstairs, 'Have you been watching my DVDs? The ones which I created a parental firewall barrier around?' Sandy sighed: sometimes he wondered at how Seth had managed to inherit fromthemhis unequaled strangeness. Not wanting to disturb his wife he lay silent, hoping Seth would sort himself out. Sure enough:
'Oh, don't worry dad- not that you were or anything- I remember what happened now. I gave a few to Summer to build on our 'Things in Common List' which at the moment stands at zero…' Seth's voice faded way; Kirsten's head moved and he looked down at her face which was warm against his arm. Given the time Kirsten took to get ready normally, Sandy decided she should be woken so he kissed her face, moving down from the forehead to her lips.
'Sandy? Oh God, what's the time? I'm so sorry.' Sandy smiled and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling them closer together.
'Honey, it's ok- we've got plenty to time so you can do…whatever you do before going out.'
She replied: 'Uh huh, how much time?' and raised her eyebrows.
'Well, you know, there are a few spare minutes. Got something in mind?' She raised her face so that she spoke right into his ear:
' I don't think there's much we can do that takes up so little time..unless…' She bit his ear lobe gently. Sandy smiled and rolled her on top of him. His face was right above his, their noses almost touching:
'Unless we're very quick.' He finished.Fifteen minutes later, Kirsten hurried down the stairs, her face flushed and her feet bare.
'Honey,put your shoes on in the car.' Sandy held the door open for her and she stepped tentatively onto the doormat.
'Sandy, it's dirty. Wait one second...' She bent down to put her shoes on but Sandy picked put his arms round her waist and picked her up saying: 'Hold on hun. Don't let go of me or the shoes.' Kirsten yelled at him to put her down, laughing through her complaints. She squeezed her arms round his neck so tightly that Sandy had trouble breathing.
'Kirsten, you're one inch off the ground, there's no need to strangle me.' She opened the car door with her foot and they fell into the car, Kirsten hitting her head on the gear lever.
'Oh, honey, did that hurt?' said Sandy sarcastically, rubbing his neck. He then noticed the clock on the dashboard and with an exclamation of long-suffering exasperation he got into the car.